That first step toward relief can feel intimidating, but knowing what to expect at your initial pain management appointment can ease anxiety and help you prepare for a productive visit.
Key Takeaways:
- Your first appointment typically lasts 45-60 minutes and includes paperwork, a detailed medical history review, and physical examination
- Bring your ID, insurance card, medical records, imaging results, and a list of current medications
- Be prepared to discuss your pain in detail—location, intensity, duration, and what makes it better or worse
- Your pain specialist will develop a personalized treatment plan based on your specific condition and goals
- Pain Specialists of America offers comprehensive, multidisciplinary approaches to pain management throughout Central Texas
Your First Visit
Living with chronic pain can be exhausting, isolating, and frustrating. If you're thinking about what happens at your first pain management appointment, you've already taken an important step toward reclaiming your life. At Pain Specialists of America, we understand that initial appointments can cause anxiety—especially when you're already dealing with pain. This comprehensive guide will walk you through exactly what to expect when you visit one of our Central Texas locations for the first time, helping you feel prepared and confident as you begin your journey toward relief.
As the leading physician-owned interventional pain management practice serving the I-35 corridor from Waco to Seguin, our team has helped thousands of patients understand their pain and develop effective management strategies. We believe that for every pain, we have a plan—and that plan begins with your very first appointment.
What Is a Pain Management Appointment?
A pain management appointment is a specialized medical consultation focused specifically on diagnosing, treating, and managing acute or chronic pain conditions. Unlike general medical appointments that might address multiple health concerns, pain management appointments concentrate exclusively on understanding the source of your pain and creating a targeted treatment approach.
At Pain Specialists of America, your first appointment serves several important purposes:
- Establishing a detailed understanding of your pain history and symptoms
- Identifying potential causes through examination and review of diagnostic tests
- Evaluating how pain is affecting your daily life and emotional wellbeing
- Creating a customized treatment plan using evidence-based interventional techniques
- Setting realistic goals for pain reduction and functional improvement
- Building a doctor-patient relationship based on trust and collaboration
These appointments are conducted by board-certified physicians with advanced training in pain medicine, supported by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals dedicated to comprehensive pain care.
How Does the First Pain Management Appointment Work?
Your initial visit to Pain Specialists of America follows a structured process designed to gather complete information about your condition while making you feel comfortable and heard. Here's a detailed breakdown of what happens at your first pain management appointment:
1. Check-In and Paperwork (05-20 minutes)
Upon arrival at our clinic, you'll be greeted by our front desk staff who will guide you through the check-in process. You'll need to:
- Present your photo ID and insurance card
- Complete new patient forms (which can often be started online before your visit)
- Provide information about your medical history, current medications, and pain concerns
- Sign consent and privacy forms
Pro tip: Arriving 10-20 minutes before your scheduled appointment time ensures you have adequate time to complete all necessary paperwork without feeling rushed.
2. Initial Assessment (10-15 minutes)
A medical assistant or nurse will:
- Record your vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, temperature)
- Review the information from your forms
- Ask preliminary questions about your pain
- Document your current medications and allergies
- Prepare you to meet with the pain specialist
3. Consultation with Pain Specialist (20-30 minutes)
This is the core of your appointment, where you'll meet with your pain management physician who will:
Discuss your complete pain history, including:
- When and how your pain started
- Pain characteristics (sharp, dull, burning, etc.)
- What makes your pain better or worse
- How pain affects your sleep, mood, and daily activities
- Previous treatments you've tried and their effectiveness
- Review your overall medical history, including other health conditions
- Examine your medical records and any imaging studies you've brought
- Perform a targeted physical examination focused on your pain areas
- Evaluate your range of motion, reflexes, strength, and sensation as needed
- Discuss your goals and expectations for treatment
4. Diagnostic Planning (5-10 minutes)
Based on your consultation, the physician may:
- Order additional diagnostic tests if needed (X-rays, MRI, CT scan, nerve studies)
- Explain why specific tests are recommended and what information they'll provide
- Schedule follow-up appointments to review test results
5. Treatment Plan Development (10-15 minutes)
Your pain specialist will:
- Discuss their assessment of your condition
- Explain treatment options appropriate for your specific situation
Develop an initial treatment plan that may include:
- Medications (anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, specialized pain medications)
- Interventional procedures (injections, nerve blocks, radiofrequency ablation)
- Physical therapy recommendations
- Lifestyle modifications and home exercises
- Psychological support for pain management
- Answer your questions about recommended treatments
Your pain specialist may also need to run additional tests or schedule a follow up to develop the most accurate plan for your unique condition.
6. Check-Out and Follow-Up Scheduling (5-10 minutes)
Before leaving, our staff will:
- Schedule any follow-up appointments or procedures
- Provide educational materials about your condition and treatments
- Process any necessary prescriptions
- Address insurance and payment questions
- Ensure you understand next steps in your care plan
The entire process typically takes between 45-60 minutes, though complex cases may require more time.
Benefits of Specialized Pain Management Care
Seeking treatment at a dedicated pain management practice like Pain Specialists of America offers several significant advantages:
- Expert Diagnosis: Our physicians specialize exclusively in pain conditions, allowing them to identify subtle patterns and causes that might be overlooked in general medical settings.
- Comprehensive Treatment Options: We offer the full spectrum of pain interventions, from conservative approaches to advanced procedures not available in primary care settings.
- Multidisciplinary Approach: Your treatment plan integrates multiple specialties—interventional techniques, physical therapy, medication management, and psychological support—for better outcomes.
- Focus on Root Causes: Rather than simply masking symptoms, our approach targets the underlying sources of pain whenever possible.
- Minimally Invasive Techniques: We specialize in interventional procedures that provide relief without major surgery.
- Ongoing Pain Management: Chronic pain often requires ongoing care and treatment adjustments, which our specialized team is equipped to provide.
- Improved Quality of Life: Our patients report significant improvements in daily functioning, sleep quality, mood, and overall well-being.
What to Bring to Your First Pain Management Appointment vs. Standard Doctor Visits
Preparing properly for your first pain management appointment can significantly enhance the productivity of your visit and help your specialist develop a more accurate treatment plan. Here's how preparation differs from standard medical appointments:
Pain Management Appointment vs. Standard Doctor Visit:
Pain Management Appointment (Requires Depth) Standard Doctor Visit (Requires Breadth) Detailed pain journal documenting patterns, triggers, and intensity Basic symptom notes Complete list of all treatments previously tried for pain (including alternative therapies) General medical history All relevant imaging studies (actual films/CD and reports) Recent test results only Records from other specialists who have treated your pain Primary care records Comprehensive medication list including over-the-counter pain relievers, supplements, and dosages Current prescription medications List of specific activities limited by pain (e.g., cannot lift, can only stand for 5 minutes) General health concerns Pain diagram marking exact pain locations and radiation Verbal description of problems Insurance referral specifically for pain management (if required) General referral
Items to bring to your first appointment at Pain Specialists of America:
Pain management specialists treat a wide range of conditions, but certain situations particularly benefit from specialized care. You may be an excellent candidate for pain management services at Pain Specialists of America if you:
Patients throughout Central Texas choose Pain Specialists of America when they're seeking not just temporary relief, but comprehensive management strategies for their chronic pain conditions.
Q: How long will my first pain management appointment take?
A: Your initial consultation at Pain Specialists of America typically lasts 45-60 minutes, allowing adequate time for paperwork, nurse assessment, physician consultation, and treatment planning. We recommend allocating at least 90 minutes for your first visit to ensure a thorough evaluation.
Q: Do I need a referral to see a pain management specialist?
A: This depends on your insurance plan. Many PPO plans do not require referrals, while HMO and some other plans do require a referral from your primary care physician. Our office staff can help determine if a referral is necessary for your specific insurance when you call to schedule.
Q: Will I receive treatment during my first appointment?
A: The first appointment focuses primarily on evaluation and diagnosis. While you will receive a comprehensive treatment plan, actual interventional procedures (such as injections) are typically scheduled for follow-up appointments after your physician has reviewed all necessary information and diagnostic results.
Q: What types of pain treatments does Pain Specialists of America offer?
A: We provide a comprehensive range of treatments including medication management, interventional procedures (epidural steroid injections, facet joint injections, nerve blocks), radiofrequency ablation, spinal cord stimulation, physical therapy referrals, and complementary approaches. Your personalized plan will incorporate the treatments most appropriate for your specific condition.
Q: Will I be prescribed pain medication at my first appointment?
A: Medication decisions are made on a case-by-case basis after thorough evaluation of your condition, medical history, and previous treatments. Our approach emphasizes minimally invasive interventional treatments that address the source of pain, though medications may be part of a comprehensive plan when appropriate.
Q: How soon can I expect relief after starting treatment?
A: The timeline for pain relief varies depending on your condition and the treatments recommended. Some patients experience improvement shortly after their first interventional procedure, while others with complex chronic conditions may require multiple treatments over several weeks or months before achieving optimal results.
Q: What happens after my first appointment?
A: Following your initial consultation, we'll schedule any recommended diagnostic tests, follow-up appointments, or interventional procedures. Your pain specialist will continue to refine your treatment plan based on your response to initial therapies, with the goal of progressive improvement in pain and function.
Your first pain management appointment at Pain Specialists of America marks the beginning of your personalized journey toward improved comfort and function. By knowing what to expect and arriving prepared, you can maximize the value of this important first step.
Our physician-owned practice has been serving Central Texas since 2014, with convenient locations throughout the I-35 corridor. Our multidisciplinary team of board-certified pain specialists combines advanced interventional techniques with comprehensive care approaches to address even the most challenging pain conditions.
Remember our core belief: for every pain, we have a plan. Your unique plan begins with that crucial first appointment—where we listen carefully, evaluate thoroughly, and partner with you to develop effective strategies for managing your pain.
Life without limits is possible. We help you find your path back. Schedule your first appointment with Pain Specialists of America today by calling our central scheduling line or requesting an appointment through our website.
Living with chronic pain can significantly impact your quality of life. It can limit your ability to work, enjoy hobbies, and spend time with loved ones. If you're searching for pain management in Temple, TX, Pain Specialists of America is here to help. We offer comprehensive, patient-centered pain management with a focus on improving your overall well-being.
At PSA, we understand that pain is a complex and personal experience. That's why we take a multidisciplinary approach, combining cutting-edge treatments with compassionate care to address your unique needs. Our team of experienced pain specialists is dedicated to helping you find lasting relief and reclaim your life from pain.
We're fortunate to have Dr. Andrés Gutiérrez Robles as part of our team in Temple. Let's take a closer look at the services he and the PSA Temple team provide to help the community find lasting relief.
Dr. Gutiérrez Robles brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to PSA. He completed his medical studies at Ponce Health Sciences University and a residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Memorial Healthcare System. He further honed his skills through a fellowship in Pain Medicine at Oregon Health Science University.
Beyond his impressive credentials, Dr. Gutiérrez Robles is known for his compassionate approach and dedication to patient care. He's passionate about helping people overcome pain and improve their quality of life. This commitment was evident in his volunteer efforts during Hurricane Maria, where he provided much-needed medical assistance to those affected by the disaster.
Fluent in both Spanish and English, Dr. Gutiérrez Robles is a valuable asset to the Temple community, providing culturally sensitive care to a diverse patient population.
305 Clinite Grove Blvd, Temple, TX 76502
P: (254) 401-5250
As a compassionate pain specialist in Temple, we believe in a personalized approach to pain management. Dr. Gutiérrez Robles and his team take the time to understand your unique needs and develop a treatment plan that targets the root cause of your pain. We believe in accurate diagnoses and individualized treatment strategies to help you achieve the best possible outcomes.
Some of our interventional pain management services in Temple include:
When you choose PSA for your pain management needs, you can expect:
Pain Specialists of America is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate pain management care to the Temple community. With experienced specialists like Dr. Gutiérrez Robles and a focus on personalized treatment, we're here to help you find lasting relief and reclaim your life from pain.
If you're ready to take control of your pain, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with Dr. Gutiérrez Robles at PSA Temple.
Ambulatory surgery centers, known as ASCs, are health care facilities that provide outpatient surgical care, with no overnight stay required. Recent advances in surgical techniques, anesthesia, and pain management, have allowed ASCs to grow both in the types and quantities of surgeries performed. Surgery centers allow you to save 26% less time compared to having the same surgery performed in a hospital setting.
We’ve built our state-of-the-art facilities from the ground up and designed them to provide our patients with complete comfort, utilizing soft colors and plenty of lighting, including skylights.
They also offer more complex procedures, like those for joints, bones, ear, nose, and throat, plastic, reconstructive, and even the abdomen. Part of the growth of ASCs can be attributed to progress made with minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Because these procedures are far less invasive, the amount of anesthesia, pain, and recovery time is also reduced.
There are other reasons why ASCs have become not just viable, but a comparable option to inpatient.
We seldom wonder if a surgery is going to be “convenient,” but when you consider the amount of staff required, the demands on the space, and the possibility of delays due to sudden emergencies, it’s easy to see how procedures performed in a traditional hospital setting could quickly become inconvenient. Ambulatory surgery centers, on the other hand, offer ease of scheduling and incur fewer delays since fewer emergencies are scheduled. Additionally, they are typically located away from busy (and larger) medical centers, which means easier access and parking.
Medical care is expensive, but ambulatory surgery centers have found a way to decrease those costs. By being specialized in specific procedures and structured to function efficiently, ambulatory surgery centers enjoy lower overhead—which results in lower costs for insurance carriers and patients. Studies have shown ASCs are on average up to 60% less expensive than hospital procedures. And this benefits everybody.
Like any hospitals, ASCs are required to meet federal and state guidelines. To be licensed, they must pass not only an initial inspection, but must continue adhering to regulations and reporting. ASCs are typically Medicare certified, and many voluntarily go one step further and participate in accreditation programs and independent healthcare rating agencies.
Studies also show a lower rate of infection in ambulatory surgery centers. Surgical site infection is half what you would find in a hospital setting on average: Hospital setting = 8.95/1000 while in a surgery center = 4.84/1000 patients*. Simply put, the risk of patients acquiring an illness or contagious disease at an ASC is significantly reduced, by almost half.
Much of this can be attributed to the avoidance of scheduling patients with known infection and the reduced exposure to patients with far more critical medical issues.
Relying on an ASC for your procedure is much less stressful. Along with the reasons above, there’s the added benefit of recovering in your home, compared to a hospital setting.
One final thing to consider: ambulatory surgery centers, like our ASC in Killeen, focus on a select number of procedures, which means your treatment is provided by professionals specialized in your issues. Surveys report higher patient satisfaction with the care provided at an ASC.
It’s easy to see why an ASC is the best choice for your care. And we expect more and more patients will reach the same decision. That’s why, to better accommodate this growing patient population, we’re building two new surgery centers in North and South Austin. This way we can offer the most advanced interventional procedures and surgeries in the safest environment possible. And that means the best outcome for you.
If you suffer from a condition that requires minor or day surgery, consider the benefits of an ambulatory surgery center. Then, give us a call to schedule a consultation. We think the benefits you’ll find in our ambulatory surgery center to be a welcome relief.
Source: https://www.ossmnewark.com/news/infection-risk-ambulatory-surgery-centers-safer-hospitals
Dr. Pankaj Mehta (MD, DABA, DABPM), a nationally renowned interventional pain doctor, is the Chief Medical Officer at Pain Specialists of Austin and Central Texas Pain Center.
Dr. Mehta is a Board-Certified Anesthesiologist, trained at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, before completing an interventional pain fellowship at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic. During his training, Dr. Mehta was awarded a Harvard fellowship for NIH-sponsored research exploring the need for certain drugs in chronic opioid therapy.
Dr. Mehta, who has gained national recognition for his contributions to the field of interventional pain management, has been recognized as one of the Top Interventional Pain Management Physicians. He also was a recipient of the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience 2020 Clinical Excellence Award. In addition to lecturing nationwide on breakthroughs in interventional pain management, he is widely published in many prestigious medical journals. He serves as an educator for several healthcare companies that research and develop treatments for chronic pain. Dr. Mehta also collaborates with local clinicians to present pain management programs that encompass multiple interventional strategies.
A leading proponent of cutting-edge technologies, Dr. Mehta is not only a leading IPM practitioner, but he also trains other physicians nationwide on technologically advanced pain treatments. An early adopter of the latest scientific techniques to treat chronic pain, his goal is to provide effective pain management programs that delay or eliminate the need for invasive surgery. Conditions treated by Dr. Mehta include lower back and neck spine and associated leg pain, chronic postoperative pain, headaches, abdominal and pelvic pain, and degenerative joint disease.
Dr. Mehta’s practice at Pain Specialists of America focuses on a multi-disciplinary pain management approach based on each individual’s needs, integrating technologically advanced treatment modalities. His work as director of research for PSA’s ambulatory surgical centers plays a key role in the methodologies he uses to treat chronic pain, as he conducts cutting-edge research involving therapies to develop more effective treatment options for patients with chronic pain.
Dr. Mehta and his Minimally Invasive Spinal Therapy Team are “dedicated to partnering with our patients to eliminate or alleviate their pain, enhance their daily functionality and improve their physical and psychological well-being.” This advanced team offers advanced programs for headaches, PTSD, spine pain and much more.
“We help pain sufferers regain their quality of life as quickly as possible,” Dr. Mehta said, “using evidence-based, cutting-edge therapies. We start with a comprehensive evaluation to diagnose the cause of their pain,” he explained, and “then we create a personalized treatment plan designed to provide long-term relief.”
Among his many accolades, Dr. Mehta is considered a leader in neuromodulation – the process of actively stimulating nerves to produce a natural biological response to pain. Dr. Mehta treats patients referred from across Texas and the country. He is an active member of leading professional organizations, such as the North American Neuromodulation Society, International Neuromodulation Society and American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians.
“What I – and all the doctors at Pain Specialists of Austin and Central Texas Pain Center – want people to know is that they don’t have to live with debilitating pain. There are treatment options that are safe, sustainable, result in improved physical function and strength, enabling a much better quality of life. That’s why we’re here – to help reduce and, if possible, eliminate patients’ pain.”
Pain Specialists of Austin and Central Texas Pain Center is a network of 16 clinics and two surgery centers where medical practices provide multi-disciplinary pain management treatment options to their patients, under the administrative management of Pain Specialists of America. Pain Specialists of Austin and Central Texas Pain Center have provided Texans with high-quality, interventional pain management treatment options for over 20 years.
To learn more about Pain Specialists of Austin’s and Central Texas Pain Center’s multi-disciplinary, interventional pain management treatment options and how the science of pain management can change your life, please visit their website www.psadocs.com.